South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Register Properties in South Carolina

Nesbitt's Limestone Quarry, Cherokee County (Address Restricted)
minigate
No Photos Available

Nesbitt’s Limestone Quarry is the most extensive and best preserved limestone quarry directly associated with early iron production in the northwestern Piedmont of South Carolina. It was utilized as early as the eighteenth century, and through the first half of the nineteenth century was the primary source of limestone for the region’s ironworks. It is the only remaining limestone quarry with any contextual integrity. Since quarrying activity at Nesbitt’s ceased in the early part of the twentieth century, it was not exploited by modern mining methods. This lack of large-scale mining activity has been the principal reason this quarry, unlike the others, has retained much of its integrity. The site covers approximately 30 acres and has exposed vertical faces of limestone visible at the edges. It is the largest body of limestone in a series of deposits which trend northeast-southwest and extend in a linear fashion from Limestone College to across the South Carolina state line. Listed in the National Register May 8, 1987.

View the redacted text of the nomination form for this National Register property. In addition the Historic Resources of Early Ironworks of Northwestern South Carolina includes historical background information for this and other related National Register properties.

Most National Register properties are privately owned and are not open to the public. The privacy of owners should be respected. Not all properties retain the same integrity as when originally documented and listed in the National Register due to changes and modifications over time.

Images and texts on these pages are intended for research or educational use. Please read our statement on use and reproduction for further information on how to obtain a photocopy or how to cite an item.


Images provided by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.